A Holiday with A Difference
It was dark outside the hut and probably very cold. In fact it was dark and cold inside the hut. The others were fast asleep and the quietness was almost deafening. From the depths of a sleeping bag an alarm sounded. I knew it was six o’clock. I could see the stars through the window and like every other morning, I didn’t want to get out of my cosy sleeping bag. But I had to get up – for two reasons. The snow is at its best before the sun hits it so Alpine starts are the go and the second reason is that I love photographing sunrise in the mountains. My camera was beside me and I had set the tripod up outside in preparation.
Sean and I forced ourselves out of our bags, dragged some clothes on and ventured out into the cold grey dawn. We had to be a little careful in our tired state in case we fell off the ledge where the hut was perched. Before long the sun was painting the pre-dawn sky various shades of red and the higher mountains were staring to glow. Mt Cook filled the frame just nicely. The exquisite colours don’t last long so timing is very important.
Sunrise in the mountains is magical and I never tire of it. The views are just stunning. Photographs don’t always do justice to the ambience but let me tell you there is something special about standing in the stillness and the cold surrounded by mountains, watching and waiting. I have a passion to get an unequalled sunrise photograph and whenever I go into the mountains I fight that urge to stay in my sleeping bag. Of course the weather doesn't always work on your side and it may take many early rises – but that’s life!
Pete, Sean, Liam and I were on an Alpine Guides six day mountaineering course in the Mt Cook national park in New Zealand. It had only taken
twelve minutes to fly by helicopter into the Tasman Saddle from the village of Mt Cook. An electrifying twelve minutes though.We contoured around the lower hills and then sped over the Tasman Glacier looking down at the many deep crevasses and towering seracs. Mt Cook and Mt Tasman loomed high above us. There was not a cloud in the sky and the contrast between the deep blue and the white snow made for some good photographs.
The helicopter took off and we were alone on the Tasman Glacier. Danger loomed beneath the friendly looking snow so although the hut was only three hundred yards away it took about two hours to reach. Huge cavernous crevasses were our danger. Some were obvious, some we could make out and others were completely covered. This was not going to be a stroll in the mountains - it was going to test our resolve. We had to rope up for glacier travel but first Sam, our guide, had to show us how to prepare ourselves before we could move out. It was about midday and it was hot. In fact it was like being in an oven. There was no wind and the sun reflected off the snow at all angles. The skin burned and because the radiation is more intense in the mountains we had to take greater care in making sure there wasn’t too much unprotected exposed flesh. This was to be the pattern every morning before we left the hut.
Two of us had done this kind of thing before albeit it twenty years ago while it was completely alien to the other two. The reason for doing this course was to prepare ourselves for climbing a mountain in the Chinese Pamir mountains called Mustagh Ata in July 2001. We had past it last year as we cycled down the Karakorum Highway. I have always wanted to climb a high peak and although it is relatively high it is not a technical mountain.
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